AWI expands in Japan
Australian wool Innovation (AWI) is launching a $1.4 million marketing programme involving five major Japanese retailers between now and March 2009. The aim is to create an additional demand for 1 million kilogrammes of Australian Merino wool over the next three years.
It is hoping to help reverse the declining trend in wool fibre share in the Japanese market, which has a large impact on the global wool producing and processing industry, especially at the fine-end of the wool market.
Japan is a priority strategic market for the growth in demand for Australian Merino wool and is well represented by a small group of retailers. Five retail apparel groups – Isetan, Onward Kashiyama, Sanyo Shokai, Aoyama Trading and Flandre – will join with AWI to promote the ‘Excellence in Australian Merino Wool” marketing campaign.
“Japan is the second largest wool apparel consumer in the world after China, with an estimated retail market size of 80 million kilogrammes of wool” said chief executive officer, Craig Welsh.
Due to the large volume of wool suits, Japan has a particularly large influence on global superfine wool demand. Mr Welsh said there has been an absence of a targeted wool marketing campaign in Japan for more than a decade.
